Last night I had to occupied myself with reading Heist Society by Ally Carter while waiting to see the midnight premiere of Eclipse. I was instantly absorbed and temporarily forgot about my internal countdown that was going on in my head. Frankly, this is very hard to do, however, this book captured my attention so completely that the next thing I knew I was already halfway down with the book and it was time to go to the theaters! In fact, after I came back from the movie at 2:30 am, I really wanted to pick it up and finish it but I had to force myself to go to bed instead (Watch my blog for my upcoming movie review on "Eclipse"). Heist Society is a phenomenal book that will be most likely be talked about amongst young adults and checked out constantly at the library.

Description (from the inside panel): When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre...to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria...to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own--scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving "the life" for a normal life proves harder than she'd expected.
Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring her back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat's dad needs her help. For Kat there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in history--or at least her family's (very crooked) history.

Review: Heist Society is one of those rare books that reads like a movie. Carter's descriptions are so detailed that I could picture the characters and the settings without any difficulty. Heist Society is a teen version of Ocean 11. Instead of the rat pack, you get a bunch of sophisticated, smart, and cunning group of teens who have been brought up in con artistry: Kat is the leader and mastermind, who reluctantly comes back to the "family business" to clear up her father's name. Her best friend and maybe something more friend, Hale, is a teenage version of Cary Grant in To Catch a Thief i.e.very suave, smooth, witty, and handsome. Gabrielle is the beautiful distraction. A pair of British twin brothers are the muscle and Simon, the squeamish computer whiz. I loved all of the characters. Kat comes off as a smart, brave, loyal, assertive, and sassy girl who takes the lead. Her clash of desires, between wanting to start a fresh life and her family loyalties to save her father, is real.
The heist and the mystery of the real thief is the center of the book. There is a budding romance between Hale and Kat, which I really hope progresses because they genuinely care for one another and are perfect for one another! There were some fun twist and turns that I didn't see coming in the story. There were also lots of moments where I laughed out loud. One moment in particular where Kat appears for the first to the guys in her crew as a true female. A great choice for a light, smart, funny, and clean mystery. I really hope there is a sequel because the book ends with a cliffhanger. I'm not surprised that Warner Brothers has already picked up the rights for this book. You read the Variety article here.

Rating: 5 stars

Words of Caution: There are threats of violence, but nothing really takes place. A good, clean mystery novel with a great mischievous, smart cast of characters. I would have no hesitations in recommending it to 6th grade and up.

If you like this book, try:I'd Love to Tell You, But Then I'll Have to Kill You by Ally Carter or Son of the Mob by Gordon Korman

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